US Coast Guard Coordinates Rescue Of 27 Mariners After Vessel Catches Fire In Pacific Ocean

The US Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 mariners after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire and later sank in the Pacific Ocean, about 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

All 27 crew members were safely recovered early on Sunday when the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker Seaways Kenosha reached the scene at around 03:30 Pacific Standard Time.

Officials reported that there were no injuries or medical concerns at the time of rescue. An injury reported earlier was later assessed as non-life-threatening.

The Coast Guard was alerted to the emergency at 15:51 PST on Saturday, after Rescue Coordination Center Alameda received an SOS distress signal from the Garmin Search and Rescue Command Center.

The alert was sent from the 240-foot fishing vessel La Pena. Coast Guard watchstanders made contact with the crew using a satellite messaging device.

The crew confirmed that a fire had broken out on board and that the vessel later sank. All 27 mariners had abandoned ship and were waiting in the vessel’s emergency lifeboat.

The crew reported that they had no life jackets, food or water in the lifeboat. Their only way to communicate was the satellite device, which had about 37 per cent battery remaining, giving roughly 12 hours of use.

To conserve power, the mariners were placed on a 90-minute communication schedule to share position updates and receive instructions.

As there were no Coast Guard ships or aircraft nearby, Rescue Coordination Center Alameda issued SafetyNet and SafetyCAST broadcasts to alert vessels in the area and request help.

An Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system search identified two vessels within 115 miles and 13 vessels within 575 miles of the distress location.

Among the vessels contacted, Seaways Kenosha, which was operating about 100 miles from the survivors and participates in the AMVER programme, agreed to assist.

Coast Guard watchstanders then coordinated the tanker’s movement to the scene. Weather conditions during the rescue were reported as five-foot seas with winds of about 10 knots.

Following the successful recovery, a planned Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft deployment from Air Station Sacramento to drop emergency supplies was cancelled.

The Coast Guard’s National Command Center said it continues to monitor the situation while arrangements are being made to transfer the rescued mariners to shore.

The AMVER system is a voluntary global ship-reporting programme run by the US Coast Guard to support search and rescue operations by identifying vessels near maritime emergencies.

Reference: USCG

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